show 'n tell spreads it's wings

Hi 
wanted to tell you that we liked Matjiesfontein so much that we took the idea back to England! We hired a country pile in Devon (which even had a little hall, which used to be the village hall) and invited 31 friends for the weekend, asking everyone to make a contribution. We're quite a debaucherous lot, so not all the activities happened, but most of them did.

We had a Mad Hatter's tea party, a game of rounders where you had to run with a silly hat while balancing a tea cup and saucer, hula hooping, wine tasting, a pub quiz in the village hall, life drawing (was supposed to be a naked life drawing of our exhibitionistic friend, but it ended up being done informally around the braai), a country ramble, a memory wall, then an Oscars Award Ceremony where we all had to dress as Hollywood characters. Awards were given for people based on films - for example, Andy was 'The Big Baranowski', I was 'Dude, Where's My Drugs?" , my friend was 'Dude, Where's My Bag?" as she loses things, our friend who loves to eat was nominated for several James Bond awards - 'The Pie Who Loved Me', Casino Royale with Extra Cheese', 'Goldenfingerlickin' Good' - you get the picture.

It was a fabulous weekend (I'm still buzzing!) and everyone kept telling me what a brilliant idea it was… and I did give you guys credit and say I'd got the idea from an event in South Africa!

We're going to make it an annual event - come next year!!!!

And thanks again!

Oh and before I forget, Andy and his friend Rick did an intervention during the Oscars afterparty - they came into the hall dressed in Mexican wrestler outfits and did some staged wrestling. Photos may surface later - I didn't take any.


- claire